Cinta Manis Indonesia

It was all over the news but now it’s no longer there. This doesn’t mean that trouble in paradise is over. The Merapi is still blowin’ tons of ashes and the chances for a new major earthquake are still very real. The results of the last one are still visible. People in Indonesia have lived with this kind of situation for millennia but nobody gets really used to such terms. Not only people suffer from earthquakes and volcanoes but also buildings. Apparently Borobudur is damaged. To what extent is not yet clear.

I visited Java and Bali a couple of years ago for a period of 20 days. It was an intense and challenging trip to a totally different world. Travelling long distances across an overwhelming landscape with crowded cities, full of noise and life. Djakarta is well known for being one of the most air-polluted cities of the world [I can tell ya, it’s true] but apart from that it’s also the nation’s musical capital. Indonesia has, together with neighbour Malaysia, one of the biggest music industries of Asia and a strong home market. The Indian, Japanese and maybe the Chinese markets are bigger [it’s hard to tell because of all the illegal copies].
A typical music shop or street salesman carries not only home made and western products but in equal parts cassettes and DVD’s with Bollywood soundtracks, Malaysian, Mandarin and Cantonese pop singers. Occasionally you can find some Japanese stuff.
I’m not going to try to explain the history of Indonesian (pop)music. I can’t. I read about it and it looked to me that none of the authors got anywhere either. Obviously people in Indonesia have a strong sense of the nation’s own musical heritage [for instance, Balinese Gamelan] but for years they have also been incorporating a great variety of foreign influences in their music. A cross-section of Indonesian popular music will give you good impression of what people around Asia perceive as pop music.

After the trip I made a collection of oldies and contemporary songs. It’s not a flawless or mint collection. Of some tracks I don’t know the title or even the artist’s name. Some tracks are edited because the original copies where also edited. They’ve just cut off tracks right in the middle or they switched over to a different tune for no particular reason at all. The old ones are copies of old records just like those scratchy ones from Bollywood. Original master tapes are sometimes pretty rare. Nevertheless there’s enough to enjoy and cracks, as wrinkles, have their charm.

Sakura – Harvey Malaiholo

Dunia - Masi Mari – Salute to Koes

Penasaran – Rhoma Irama and Soneta Group

Malayang – Dewi Sandra

Berdendang – Soneta Group, Elvy Sukaesih and Rhoma Irama

Mari Berjoget – Salute to Koes

Tukang Tuak – Benyamin S. and Ida Royani

KNTP - Sunyahni

Nsantana – Salute to Koes

Jaleuleu – Sambasunda

Ayun Ayun – Manthous

Ku Akui – Dewi Sandra

Nolam Susu – Indro

Cinta Berduri – Elvy Sukaesih and Soneta Group

Hanya Memuji – Shany and Marcell

Keadilan – Nasida Ria

Keraguan – Trie Utami

Sengaja – Elvy Sukaesih and Soneta Group

Masya Allah – Rhoma Irama and Soneta Group

Sakura Dalam Pelukan – Chrisye

I’ve added some extra tracks from Sambasunda, Elvy Sukaesih and from Rhoma Irama. He’s the Indonesian answer to Elvis [reborn Christian parallel and everything], has a prolific state of duty in the music industry and still makes records.

Malam Terakhir – Elvy Sukaesih, Rhoma Irama and Soneta Group

Seni – Rhoma Irama and Soneta Group

Team Risk – Sambasunda

Corrupted files

Yes, it’s been awhile again. It’s not always easy to keep up. I didn’t even got around doing a first brazilian post. Today just some quick laughs.
After their classic first album The Sex Pistols made another one that was linked to a movie. The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle. Now, personally I think it’s their best or most interesting one. It’s punk music that even punks don’t like.

I give you a Sid Vicious favorite that addresses a really pertinent question which should be a genuine concern of the government. It's more hilarious than the My Way version. Next a French version of Anarchy in the UK that shows where Les Négresses Vertes got the mustard or at least an good idea.

Who Killed Bambi?

L'Anarchie Pour Le UK

...............6 6 6

I don’t know if any of you is aware that tomorrow is a special date. It’s the sixth day of the sixth month of year six. Actually it’s 2006, so I personally don’t pay that much attention, but it still makes a funny combination of numbers *.
What kind of sounds go with these numbers? Apart from the easy pick for horror and thrillers (no it isn’t Halloween right now) I can only think of one sound that could do justice to a certain sense of discomfort. I’m listening to Trout Mask Replica for years now (no not constantly, thank you) and I still find it disturbingly beautiful. Other people think I’m nuts but it grows on ya. It’s truly a real piece of Art. So totally out of tune with the times in which it was conceived (the sixties) and still right at yer face. The man who was responsibly for all this Captain Beefheart kept producing highly original recordings untill the eighties and now he makes a living painting pictures under his real name Don van Vliet.

Frownland

Moonlight on Vermont

* and today it's World Environment Protection Day.

Diva Lady

I never paid much attention to The Divine Comedy. Why? I don't know. There are bands that produce fine music for years without really getting noticed or they are just simply ignored by critics and potential fans. It's a big world out there with a lot of music.
But now, all of that is going to change. They released a new album Victory For The Comic Muse and a new single Diva lady. I just heard it on radio one. Based on these facts, I think I'm going to pay more attention to their music.

I'm posting 2 versions. The long album version and the shorter radio version*.

Diva lady (Radio Edit)

Diva lady (Album version)

* Why record companies still produce so called radio friendly shorter versions is a mystery to me, because I heard the long version on the radio.

Bubblegum 2

Music that is able to paint a big smile on your face, just anytime or anywhere you need it, is pretty rare .
Junior Senior is one of those bands that ‘ll always do the trick for me.
It's short, simple and effective. I guess their secret is one big, happy and catchy uptempo mashed up sound based on 50 years of pop music and a lot of humour. They make it sounds so simple but it isn’t. It takes great effort to do what they do. One band that’s very familiar is the Go Team! only JR SR are doing it for years now.
Their popular but not famous apart from their homeland. Their music is featured in movies and sitcoms but also on radio. Move your feet was a hit in this part of the world but not very exemplary for the rest of their output. It's based on samples while the rest has more the sound and feel of a live band.

My favorite song is Shake Your Coconuts from D-D-Don't Don't Stop The Beat. I give you song and video which has some footage from the film in which the song featured.

Dynamite

Shake Your Coconuts

For the video as Real Player file push the button